Juncus bufonius var. congestus

Clustered toad rush

Family: Juncaceae · Type: annual · Native

Clustered toad rush is a native annual found in northern California Coast Ranges, California Ranges, southern Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, central western California, and southwestern California (excluding southern Channel Islands) in drying pools, shores, and disturbed ground, typically in saline environments at elevations below 2,500 meters. Flowering details are not specified in the source data, but the plant produces small flowers in dense, somewhat coiled clusters at branch tips. Growing with relatively large stems, this rush forms compact clumps with congested flower arrangements. Its flowers feature perianth segments 5 to 8 millimeters long with acuminate petals. The fruit is shorter than the perianth segments, contributing to the plant's densely clustered appearance.

Habitat: Drying pools, shores, disturbed ground, generally saline

Elevation: < 2500 m

Bioregions: NCoR, CaRF, s SNH, GV, CW, SW (exc s ChI)

California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Madera, San Diego, Riverside, Alameda, Butte, Fresno, Lake, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Tulare, San Francisco, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, San Joaquin, Ventura, Sonoma, Kern, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Merced, Lassen, Modoc, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Mariposa, Solano, Mendocino, Napa

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.